photo credit: Shutterstock

One of President Donald Trump’s first actions after his return to office in January was to issue an executive order requiring immigrants to register their information in a federal database under a law originally passed in 1952. He called it the "Protecting the Americans People Against Invasion" presidential action.

By March, the federal government announced that the registration would be mandatory. Immigrants who fail to comply could face fines of up to $5,000 or imprisonment. However, the order does not apply to lawful permanent residents, individuals with H-1B visas, refugees, or asylum seekers with pending cases.

On April 10, a U.S. district judge ruled that the Trump administration could proceed with the registration requirement. Under the ruling, undocumented immigrants over the age of 14 must register within 30 days of arriving in the United States.

Liliana Gallelli, an immigration attorney based in Mendocino County, said the online registration process through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can be overwhelming.

“I looked at the USCIS page — none of it is easy. To create a USCIS account is very convoluted,” Gallelli said. “It’s not difficult for a person who uses a computer all day, but for my clients, it is. It can be a nightmare to coordinate.”

The National Immigration Law Center and the American Immigration Council, two organizations that advocate for immigrant rights, filed a lawsuit challenging the new rule. The suit argues the administration failed to hold a required public comment period and that the order lacks clarity on who exactly must register.

Sergio Perez, executive director of Nuestra Alianza de Willits, said he is hopeful the legal challenge will halt the order. He pointed to recent court victories that temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua.

“When he tried to stop Temporary Protected Status, a judge from California stopped Trump,” Perez said. “The visas were supposed to stop in April, and now the judge said that was not legal for the administration to do.”

The 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, which underpins the executive order, has faced criticism for decades. Immigration advocates argue it favors European immigrants and has led to a complex visa system that makes legal entry to the United States more difficult.

Despite opposition, the registration requirement officially went into effect April 11. Following the court ruling, the Department of Homeland Security said the order would be fully enforced.

According to the USCIS, the rule applies to immigrants who plan to remain in the U.S. for more than 30 days, with exceptions for certain visa holders and green card recipients.